Japan net zero plan hits speed bump as small utilities balk
Hokkaido Electric Power Co. and Shikoku Electric Power Co. said this week they can’t set deadlines to become emissions neutral because it’s too costly.
The Ainu language and the global movement for indigenous rights
With the Ainu language considered to be on the brink of extinction, global connections are breathing new life into revitalization efforts.
Hokkaido municipalities gamble on a nuclear future, but at what cost?
Nuclear waste site survey applications reflect muddled official policy about what to do with the country's spent nuclear fuel
Endangered Japanese crane population on the rise in Hokkaido
The iconic bird, which symbolizes longevity and good luck, was almost wiped out in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Former residents offer prayers from the air off Russian-held islets
According to the government of Hokkaido, a total of some 130 former residents will take the five flights to pray for ancestors who were buried on the islands.
The visit, the first by a Russian government official since Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga took office, is expected to draw backlash from Tokyo.
Controversy over bids to host nuclear waste highlights disposal issue
Two municipalities in Hokkaido have applied to the first stage of the process to build final disposal sites for nuclear waste, but the moves have prompted opposition.
Municipalities that undergo the preliminary research can receive up to ¥2 billion in state subsidies over two years.
Hokkaido municipalities to launch nuclear waste disposal site survey
The government is seeking suitable places to store the waste, which must be encased in concrete 300 meters below ground.
Rare sea otters in the wild become tourism draw for Hokkaido town
Officials hope to capitalize on the year-round presence of the animals, which are not as easily seen in aquariums as in past years.
Private renters in Sapporo launch domestic travel campaign as global travel stalls
In the six months to August, 709 minpaku properties closed down in Sapporo, their number down to around 80 percent of their peak.
Russian chopper briefly enters Japanese airspace, prompting ASDF to scramble fighters
A Russian helicopter entered Japanese airspace off Hokkaido on Friday, prompting the scrambling of Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets, the Defense Ministry said. The Mi8 helicopter invaded the nation's airspace near Cape Shiretoko in eastern Hokkaido at around 12:25 p.m. and the ASDF fighters warned ...
